hasselman



(No ModeL) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

0. H. HASSELMAN. BLEGTION BOOTH.

No. 438,624. Patented Oct. 21, 1890.

H m L Ew S M H HG w HE Ow Patented 0613.21, 1890.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OTTO H. HASSELMAN, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

ELECTION-BOOTH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 438,624, dated October 21, 1890.

Application filed April 22, 1890.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Orro H. HASSELMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Election-Booths, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my said invention is to provide astructure which may be manufactured in quantities and sold ready made for the use of voters in elections under what is known as the Australian system, and which may be conveniently packed for storage or for shipment from place to place. This object is accomplished by hinging a number of sides or panels together in such a manner that when spread out in the proposed arrangement they will form a series of booths, but which may be folded together closely for the purposes of transportation or storage.

Said invention consists in the combination of the required number of sides or panels hinged together at a common point and provided with stay rods or rails, whereby they are secured in the desired position for use, and with doors or curtains whereby the booths may be closed when in use, as will be hereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which are made a part hereof, and on which similar letters of reference indicate similar parts, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a series of booths set up and ready for use embodying my said invention; Fig. 2, a top or plan view thereof; Fig. 3, a top end view, otherwise similar to Fig. 2, when the parts are folded up in position for transportation or storage; Fig. 4:, a horizontal sectional view on an enlarged scale, showing more plainly the method of hinging the several parts together; Fig. 5, a horizontal sectional view through the joint-iron or rail-lock whereby the stay-rails are secured to the sides when the booths are in position for use; Fig. 6, a perspective view of the two members of said rail-lock; and Fig. 7, a View similar to Fig. 2, illustrating an alternative construction.

A convenient arrangement for electionbooths of this character is to make three booths in one structure, and I have illustrated a structure embodying this number. I do Serial No. 348,991. (No model.)

not desire, however, to beunderstood as confining myself to a particular number of to connect the sides of the booths and to hold v them in the desired position when arranged for use; D, shelves which serve as desks for the. use of voters; E, doors by which the booths may be closed when in use, and F (in Fig. 7) curtains which may be substituted for the doors.

The sides A, I prefer to make in the form of panels, the edge pieces of which extend down and form legs, this being a simple and durable, but at the same time light and inexpensive, construction. In my preferred form, as shown most plainly in Fig. 1, it is not necessary to extend the edge pieces down at the back, as the standard B will support all the panels at this point.

The standard B is a plain upright bar of suitable size and form, and to it the rear edges of all the sides A are hinged, as shown most plainly in Fig. 4. As just stated, it takes the place of the legs for said panels or sides at the back, and it also serves to hold them all secured together at this point, they being secured thereto by the hinges a, as before stated.

The stay-rails O are provided at the ends with rail-locks, each of which consists of two members 0 and a. The members care rigidly secured to the inside faces of said rails, while the other members a are rigidly secured to the corresponding faces of the panels or sides A. As shown most plainly in Fig. 5, the openings or sockets in the parts a are tubular in form, with slits extending out through the sides adjacent to the parts 0. These slits are somewhat wider than the thickness of the webs of the parts a, and thus slight variations in the angles between the various rails and sides are provided for without varying the form of these parts, while, as the pin tle-like portions of the parts c fit closely into the corresponding tubular portions of the parts a, a firm and effective union is provided for.

The shelves D are mounted on cleats or brackets (Z, attached to the sides of the pan-.

els A, and serve as desks upon which the voters can prepare their ballots.

The doors E are hinged to the sides A by hinges e. In my preferred construction, as shown most plainly in Figs. 3 and 4, the sides are arranged just that distance apart at their rear edges which will permit said doors to be folded between them when the structure is folded up, thus permitting said structure, when in this folded position, to be packed away in aminii'nuin of space and to become a substantially fiat rectangular body, which, as will be readily seen, is the most convenient form for packing and transportation.

In Fig. 7 I have illustrated an alternative construction, in which the standard B is dispensed with and the doors are replaced by curtains F. This is a somewhat cheaper construction, and may be preferred in some localities; but, as will be readily understood, it embodies the same general features as are present in my preferred construction.

In operation, the device having been brought to the desired location in the condition illustrated in Fig. 3, the sides A are swung apart, the doors swung out, and then the sides are brought back toward each other to the positions shown in Figs. 2 and 7, the rails O placed in position, the shelves D placed on their cleats or brackets,and the structure is in condition for use. After the use is 001m pleted the rails U and shelves D are taken out, the doors and sides are swung together, and the structure may be packed or transported away, as will be readily understood.

Having thus fully described my said invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination,in a structure embodying several booths or compartments, of sides for said compartments hinged together at one edge by a series of hinges and adapted to be swung apart at the other edge, and stay-rails adapted to be secured thereto at said edges, whereby theyare held to the desired position for use, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, in a structure embodyin g several booths or compartments, of a single standard and several sides hinged to said single standard and adapted to be swung apart at their other edges, thus forming the sides for said booths or compartments, substantially as set forth.

The combination, in a structure embodying several booths or compartments, of a single standard, sides or panels hinged to the edges of said standard, and intermediate sides or panels hinged to the central portion of said standard by oppositely-arranged hinges, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. The combination, in a structure embodyin g several booths or compartments, of a single standard, several sides or panels hinged to said standard at fixed distances apart, leaving spaces between said sides or panels, and doors hinged to the other edges of said sides or panels and adapted to swing into said spaces between said sides or panels when folded up, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, in a structure embodyin g several booths or compartments, of sides or panels hinged together at one edge and adapted to be swung apart at the other edge, and stay-rails adapted to secure them the required distances apart, and rail-locks consisting of the two parts a and 0, formed as described, whereby said stay-rails may be firmly connected to said sides, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination, in a structure embodying several booths or compartments, of the sides or panels A, the single standard B, to which said several sides or panels are hinged at their rear edges, the stay-rails O, by which said sides or panels are held to the required distances apart attheir front edges, shelves or desks D, secured between said sides or panels, and doors or curtains for closing the fronts of the booths or compartments of said structure, all substantially as shown and described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal, at Indianapolis, Indiana, this 17th day of April, A. D. 1890.

OTTO II. HASSELMAN.

Witnesses:

CHESTER BRADFORD, JAMES A. WALsH. 

